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I have a drainage pipe that runs underneath my front yard and it appears to have busted because everytime it rains the sink hole gets larger and larger i have called 2-3 times a month since last Sept-Oct. just to see if they will come and look at so I can get a round about date of getting it fixed and all they do is take my name and hang up, it really makes my yard look terrible in a neighborhood where everyone has nice yards. What are my options

i've always heard that anything from the curb towards your houses is yours and the rest is the city's. just depends on where the break is. They can come check it out and see though.

If there is a sidewalk and a median strip than everything from the sidewalk is yours, if there is just a cerb it should be three feet from the curb is your reponsability. But I would make them come look cause you are looking at several $1000's of dollars.

thats it, sidewalk... not sure why i said curb. my typo..

Where I'm at curb or sidewalk doesnt matter. Its my responsiblity until it hits the cities sewer main. Actually... it doesnt even matter then b/c the *%^& city line is caved in and I open it up with 100' snake on my on dime at least twice a year, and its 25' off my property!

Start getting on your aldermans butt, maybe he can do something.

DanP wrote:Where I'm at curb or sidewalk doesnt matter. Its my responsiblity until it hits the cities sewer main. Actually... it doesnt even matter then b/c the *%^& city line is caved in and I open it up with 100' snake on my on dime at least twice a year, and its 25' off my property!

Start getting on your aldermans butt, maybe he can do something.

Dan, you ought to call the public service commissioner.

It's pretty much that way everywhere. You are responsible for water to water meter and sewer to the point that you connect to the sewer main. Is the drainage pipe you are referring to the main pipe that the drains drain water off of the street into? The city would be responsible for that no matter where it is.

City responsibilty from the meter to the road don't matter about sidewalks or anything else it's the meter

Deltaquack wrote:Is the drainage pipe you are referring to the main pipe that the drains drain water off of the street into? The city would be responsible for that no matter where it is.

that's what i was thinking, if it is a storm drain pipe, the city would be responsible as part of the city infrastructure.

Correct, if it is the sewer main or any type of drainage pipe for the street then its on the city. I work for a city engineer we deal with this type of stuff alot. If you know where your property corners are check to see if its on your property or the city right of way. But generally if one of our pipes are sucking dirt from a persons yard then the city will fix the hole too.

Sounds like this is a drainage pipe and not a sewer pipe. Therefore, yes it is the City's responsibility as part of the infrastructure of the roadway that they probably maintain, as long as it has been turned over to the City. If it is a really new subidvision then it may still be the developers. How old is the subdivision. Something we are seeing a lot of lately on some of the newer subdivision, last 5-8 years, is busted drain pipe from private utility bores. These private utility companies, telephone, gas etc.., come in and bore their line after the drain pipe is in and in many cases bore right through the drain pipe therefore causing the soil to erode away through that hole when it rains. If this is the case, then they will have to fix it, but the City should come out and determine what is going on atleast.

quacker11 wrote:Sounds like this is a drainage pipe and not a sewer pipe. Therefore, yes it is the City's responsibility as part of the infrastructure of the roadway that they probably maintain, as long as it has been turned over to the City. If it is a really new subidvision then it may still be the developers. How old is the subdivision. Something we are seeing a lot of lately on some of the newer subdivision, last 5-8 years, is busted drain pipe from private utility bores. These private utility companies, telephone, gas etc.., come in and bore their line after the drain pipe is in and in many cases bore right through the drain pipe therefore causing the soil to erode away through that hole when it rains. If this is the case, then they will have to fix it, but the City should come out and determine what is going on atleast.

It is a city drainage pipe, it actually starts behind my house at the drainage ditch and runs along the side (still underneath my yard) and 45's across the front yard and basically an area of 20x20 is just caving more and more with every rain. I even went as far as to tell them if they would just come look and fix what needs to be fixed i would bring the dirt in to re-level it out.

H20fowlkiller wrote:

quacker11 wrote:Sounds like this is a drainage pipe and not a sewer pipe. Therefore, yes it is the City's responsibility as part of the infrastructure of the roadway that they probably maintain, as long as it has been turned over to the City. If it is a really new subidvision then it may still be the developers. How old is the subdivision. Something we are seeing a lot of lately on some of the newer subdivision, last 5-8 years, is busted drain pipe from private utility bores. These private utility companies, telephone, gas etc.., come in and bore their line after the drain pipe is in and in many cases bore right through the drain pipe therefore causing the soil to erode away through that hole when it rains. If this is the case, then they will have to fix it, but the City should come out and determine what is going on atleast.

It is a city drainage pipe, it actually starts behind my house at the drainage ditch and runs along the side (still underneath my yard) and 45's across the front yard and basically an area of 20x20 is just caving more and more with every rain. I even went as far as to tell them if they would just come look and fix what needs to be fixed i would bring the dirt in to re-level it out.

I would stop calling and start making appearances in person at the appropriate offices and city council meetings til something was done!

Call your city commissioner or alderman. Make them earn their pay.

good advice so far......I would call my councilman and appear at the next council meeting to explain that the proper channels are not working to alleviate the problem. Make sure you explain to them all that there is a potential danger to ones health evolving next to your house.

I agree with Kingfisher, show up at the next councilmeeting. They always allow a time for public comment. That will typically get someones attention.